This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. INBRE increased institutional capacity for biomedical research and training for both students and faculty. INBRE supported the hiring of a technician, undergraduate research in the form of supply funds and summer research assistantships, a mini-course at MDIBL, and a subscription to an electronic bibliographic resource. The molecular biology technician transformed our DNA sequencer into a core facility with much higher productivity and provided valuable assistance in two faculty laboratories. Research support was provided for 27 undergraduate students. The Web of Science is used by hundreds of students and faculty. Our microscopy facility is expanding and improving with stimulus in the form of equipment, supplies, and investigator/student support from INBRE. INBRE has led to increased research productivity by faculty and high rates of matriculation into PhD programs by students. The number of publications and manuscripts submitted has been higher in the final 2 years of INBRE than in the initial 3 years. The number of faculty and their students using comparative functional genomics also continues to rise, and our imaging facility construction is nearly complete. The Biology Department was awarded a new tenure-track line in molecular neuroscience, which will be filled by Fall 2009. This position was created, in part, by the increased emphasis on functional genomics through INBRE resources. We are developing interdisciplinary bioinformatics collaborations with new faculty in Computer Science. The short courses at MDIBL have been highly successful in integrating teaching and research, and in fostering inter-institution collaborations.